


Wiped

by PrehistoricCat



Category: Primeval
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-23
Updated: 2011-08-05
Packaged: 2017-10-21 16:38:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/227330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrehistoricCat/pseuds/PrehistoricCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon Jones wakes up after a car accident left him in a coma for three months.  He has no memory, but is haunted by nightmares of glowing lights and monsters. Then he sees a blonde woman who won't leave him alone - could she hold the key to his past?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue - Present day.

Simon Jones stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror in disgust. He hadn't had a shave in days, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper haircut; his dark mop of hair stuck out at various angles and curled into the nape of his neck. The dark circles around his eyes told a tale of sleepless nights, poor diet and too much alcohol and his pale skin betrayed the fact that he had barely set foot outside in weeks other than to go to work. He was a mess and in danger of losing his job because of it. He'd been sent home and told to either smarten up or not bother coming in. If he knew who he actually was, he'd hate himself right now.

Nine months ago he'd woken up in a hospital bed, dazed and confused. They'd told him he'd been in a car accident and had been in a coma for three months. A female passenger, possibly his girlfriend, had been killed instantly, and they'd battled to save his life – brain surgery, blood transfusions and a kidney transplant had pulled him back from the brink but left his body lifeless until the point he chose to rejoin the living. They'd said they only knew his identity from his driving licence, and had spent the three months he'd been there trying to trace his family. It seemed his parents had both died some years previously and he had no other family. Appeals for any of his friends to come forward drew blanks and the girl that had died in the car with him carried no ID so she couldn't be traced either. They were left with this enigma of a man with no memory, just a name and a date of birth.

He went into therapy, and the specialists helped him to rebuild a new life for himself. They even helped him find a job in an office, and he quickly picked things up. He found he liked working with the computers and he earned a promotion within a couple of months. He had a nice flat and had enough money to have a few luxuries each month. He should have been happy, and was until about four months after he'd been released from hospital.

The nightmares started. He'd wake up, his body covered in sweat and his heart racing. Some of the nightmares were your standard 'being chased by a monster' types, but they felt so real as if they had actually happened. Another nightmare was about being swallowed by a glowing light. He began to hear voices too; mostly a woman's voice but occasionally a man's. He could never understand what they were saying but he thought they could be trying to tell him something. He started drinking to help him sleep, and it worked for a little while, but then the nightmares got worse and he had to drink more and more to make them stop.

Then one day, his manager asked him a question and something snapped. His head felt strange and he heard himself bite back, “Who's Simon? My name is Connor, why do you keep calling me Simon?”

The doctors said he was suffering from a kind of schizophrenia; maybe it had always been there, or perhaps it had been brought on by his accident or the brain surgery – they would never know without knowing his previous medical history or his family background. The medication helped a lot. The nightmares stopped and he felt himself again, but in the last three weeks it had started again – and it was all because of her.

He'd spotted her one morning, sitting drinking coffee at the Starbucks across from his office. He called in there every morning before going into work to get a cappuccino. She smiled at him and he found himself smiling back. She was the first female to show any kind of vague interest in him since he'd been out of hospital; most people avoided him because they thought he was weird. She had a pretty smile, and her shoulder length blonde hair looked almost white in the light coming in through the window. He could see she had lovely blue eyes, but despite her smile they seemed sad.

After that, she was there every day. Sometimes she would be sitting, drinking her coffee and reading a newspaper; other times she'd be in the queue waiting to be served. She always ordered a Chai latte, and on a Friday she had a piece of carrot cake. She never spoke, just smiled and looked at him with her sad eyes. He would acknowledge her with a smile too, buy his cappuccino and leave for work. One day, he'd pluck up the courage to say hi to her. He felt like he knew her, perhaps she was someone from his past? He had the name Annie in his head for some reason, but other than that he had no clue. Whoever she was, she looked as lonely as he felt and that was strange. A pretty girl like her would surely have a string of admirers and friends in her life, so why did she always look so sad, and what interest could she possibly have in him? He was a weirdo, likely to be on medication for the rest of his life and he had no recollection of his life prior to his accident.

The nightmares came again, more vivid this time and sometimes he'd see a blonde girl. He woke up crying; somehow he knew she was important. Perhaps she was the girlfriend who had died in the car crash? The voices seemed clearer too, the female voice belonged to the blonde girl in his nightmares but he could never see her face properly.

Simon shaved and used some hair gel to try and tame his tangled hair. He really should make an effort if he wanted to keep his job. He glanced at his watch, if he didn't hurry he'd miss her. When he arrived at Starbucks, he looked around but couldn't see her. Her usual table was occupied by someone else, and she wasn't in the queue – damn! He was too late. His heart sank, then he chastised himself – how could he be so disappointed at missing a girl he'd never spoken to and would never likely speak to? It was stupid. Then he heard a voice he recognised; it was the female's voice from his nightmares.

“Can I get a Chai latte to go please?”

He turned and came face to face with her – the pretty blonde. She was the girl in his nightmares; he did know her and that meant she knew him and she could help him piece together his old life!

“Hi,” he managed to mutter, feeling his cheeks burn.

“Hello, Connor,” she smiled. “Have you remembered who I am yet?”

“Annie?”

“Almost. I'm Abby. We need to talk.”

-o-

Part 1 – Eighteen months ago

“Congratulations on a job well done,” the Minister said, glancing around the huge conference table. “We managed to avert a major disaster and lives were saved, thanks to the actions of everyone around this table now. The world owes you all an incredible debt.”

Connor couldn't help feeling like a fraud being here. It was his fault – at least in part – that things had got to the point it did. If he'd listened to Abby in the first place and not agreed to keep his research so secret, none of it would have happened. Still, he hoped he'd redeemed himself in the end somewhat, and it did seem that people were accepting him into the team.

“Has all trace of the New Dawn project been destroyed?” The Minister asked.

“Yes, the New Dawn site is nothing but rubble,” Lester said. “And Connor and I personally oversaw the dismantling of the prototype machine in the lab. Connor has also made sure all computer files and notes have been deleted.”

“That can't have been an easy task, Mr Temple? All those months of hard work destroyed?”

“To be honest, I'm glad it's gone. I almost lost everything because of that project and Philip Burton.” Under the table, Connor stroked Abby's knee, just to make sure that she really was still there. Abby placed her hand over his. That was all the reassurance he needed. He curled his fingers into hers and felt a little tingle of excitement – for the moment, her finger was bare, but at the weekend they would be going shopping for an engagement ring. It was something he hadn't quite got his head around yet.

“Excellent. Well, that's all I needed to say. James, I trust I can leave the final matter in the capable hands of yourself and Mr Anderson?”

Lester followed the Minister to the door and there were a few whispers exchanged. Connor felt uneasy – what 'final matter' was this? He exchanged a look with Abby, who seemed as equally puzzled as he was, and then he looked at Matt who was trying desperately to look anywhere except at Connor.

Lester took a deep breath. “Abby, could you leave us alone for a few minutes? Matt and I have something we need to discuss with Connor.”

Abby stood up to leave, but Connor grabbed her hand and pulled her to sit down again. “No! Abby and I have agreed that there will be no secrets from each other any more. If there's something you need to say to me, you can say it in front of her too.”

“Connor, I promise you that you can discuss this with Abby later. We're not asking you to keep anything from her at all, it's just that this is something we need you to think about with a clear mind.” Matt spoke for the first time since the meeting had begun.

“It's OK, Connor. I'll be in the menagerie when you've finished. You can tell me all about it then.” Abby smiled, kissed Connor on the cheek and left the room. Connor suddenly felt very afraid. He was going to be sacked, he just knew it!

Lester began pacing around the room and then he cleared his throat. “It wasn't strictly true when we said all trace of the New Dawn project had been destroyed, was it?”

“I don't know what you mean?” Connor was confused. He had deleted everything himself; every single file on his computer, Burton's, April's and every Prospero computer he could find. If he'd missed something, then Burton must have had more people involved than he had realised.

“All that research and knowledge, it doesn't just go away because you'd rather not think about it.”

Connor was still confused.

“He's talking about what's inside your head, Connor.” Matt said. “New Dawn is still inside your head and that presents us with a problem.”

Connor finally realised what they were getting at. “You don't have to worry. I won't be making the same mistake again.”

“That isn't what we're concerned about, Connor. Out there are any number of mad Scientists and power crazy maniacs just like Burton. Now that the anomalies are out in the open, there will be many that will want to try and emulate what he did – and they could try to use you again, threaten your life. Could you with-hold what you know when you have a gun pointed at your head?”

Connor nodded defiantly. “I'd rather die than give up what I know to someone else!”

“What if the gun was pointed at Abby's head?” Lester knew what Connor's response would be. In all the years he'd known Connor, he had seen him lose all sense of danger and reasoning when it came to protecting Abby on several occasions. Connor had closed his eyes; Lester was right. Connor would not put Abby's life in danger by with-holding what he knew. That was a huge problem.

“What am I going to do?” Connor finally said. “It's not like I can just forget what I know is it?”

“Actually, there is a way. Matt?” Lester nodded to Matt and Connor looked over questioningly.

“It's technology from my time. A series of electrical impulses and gamma radiation bursts are fired at the brain, erasing a person's memory. Then during several hours of hypnotic suggestion, a completely new identity is given to the person with a whole new life history and no knowledge of the life they had before.”

“So, I can have this done to me and forget all about New Dawn, and then Abby will be safe?” Connor was hopeful. This sounded like a perfect solution.

“I'm afraid it's not that simple, Connor. The procedure is not selective. It erases your entire memory – you won't remember New Dawn, or the anomalies... or the ARC, or Abby... it'll be as if Connor Temple never existed.”

Connor thought for a moment. There were certain events in his life that he wouldn't mind forgetting, but having no memory at all? People he loved, things he'd done, places he'd been... Abby. “This 'new identity' thing, they could put Abby back in my memory couldn't they? Or you could do it to both of us and give us both completely new identities, a new life together.”

“There's only enough of the treatment for one person. It was intended for me to use once my mission was over,” Matt said. “If I failed, then I was given it as an option instead of committing suicide if I couldn't live with knowing what was going to happen to the Earth – and if I succeeded I could also use it if I couldn't cope with not being able to go back to my own life.”

“And the Minister believes that keeping Abby as far away as possible is the only option. If there is any vague connection between the two of you, it would give away your identity. From what I understand, the research on this procedure was halted and no-one really knows just how permanent it is, and whether the memories can be recovered. If they realise its you, then we could find ourselves back in the position we are now.” Lester said.

Connor felt tears stinging his eyes. It sounded like Matt and Lester had this all planned out – they were going to get rid of him without actually killing him, and make him leave Abby all alone after everything they'd been through. “Do I even get a say in this?” he finally managed to say.

“Of course. And I'll give you all the facts before you make any decisions about this,” Matt said, placing a reassuring hand on Connor's shoulder. “What Lester said is correct; the research was halted. There were a number of deaths, and a couple of people were left with no brain function at all.”

“You mean I could actually die from doing this? Great! You may as well just pass me a gun and I'll kill myself now – save all the bother of setting up your special procedure!” Connor stood up. “Look, I know you mean well and you're thinking about Abby's safety – I get that, I totally do, and its my concern too... but we're getting married. For the first time in my life I actually have something good and I can see a positive future. I can't throw that away. Your offer is a good one but I can't do it, Matt.”

Matt nodded. “I understand, and I don't blame you. We will do everything within our power to make sure Abby is protected so that you're never put in the position of having to choose. It's your decision, Connor, and the option will always be there if you change your mind.”

“I won't, but thank you.” With that, Connor left the office to go and find Abby.

-o-

“What did Matt and Lester say?” Abby asked as they drove home.

“Oh, nothing really. Just making sure I'm OK and offering me some professional counselling that's all.”

“Are you taking it?”

“No, I've got you, haven't I!” Connor laughed. “As long as we're together, everything will be fine.” Connor firmly believed that. Abby pulled a bridal magazine from her bag and began flicking through it whilst Connor drove. She had a broad smile on her face – a smile that had been pretty much fixed to her face ever since she'd proposed to him. Connor thought she'd never looked so beautiful as she did right now, and when his favourite song came on the radio he turned it up and began to sing along. Life couldn't be more perfect.

-o-

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2 – A year ago.

“Keeping you awake are we, Mr Temple?” Lester enquired sarcastically. “Wedding plans getting too much? Perhaps you need to take it easy; wouldn't want you too tired for the wedding night.”

Connor felt his cheeks redden as he hid the yawn. “Sorry.” He glanced over at Abby who was trying very hard to disguise a giggle and then let out a laugh himself.

“Just because things are a little quiet right now, it doesn't mean we can relax on security issues,” Becker said sternly. Connor and Abby stopped their giggles and looked apologetically at Becker. Things had been very quiet since the convergence and New Dawn; a few anomalies in remote areas just like they used to be but nothing major. Secretly, they all missed the near non-stop excitement to a certain extent, but were relieved to have some respite that allowed them to get a little normality back in their lives. Connor and Abby's wedding plans were the main topic of conversation and the event was being seen as a marker for a new chapter in the ARC's history. Lester had spent several weeks dealing with the press and other sections of the media trying to calm public fears after the multiple anomalies. He'd almost considered contacting Jenny Lewis for assistance; she used to be so good at handling that side of things, but the Minister wouldn't allow anyone else to get involved.

“Now is the perfect time to start putting new procedures into place so that they become second nature if things ever get as difficult as they did six months ago.” Becker continued.

“What's wrong with the old procedures?” Abby asked.

Becker was about to respond, but Matt intervened. “Nothing, but we have to think more carefully about the way we operate out in the field, and also about our own personal security in our normal, everyday lives. I think there are certain areas where we have made ourselves vulnerable because we've become complacent, and that has to change.”

“Personal security? Are you saying we could be in danger? Have you had some kind...” Jess said.

Connor suddenly realised where this was leading. Matt had promised him six months ago that he would protect Abby. It looked like he was being true to his word whilst making it look like it was being done for the whole team. He smiled gratefully at Matt, hoping he'd understand the sentiment behind it. Matt's nod of acknowledgement told him he did.

“It's fine, Jess. We're just making sure we're all aware of our own personal safety and that we look out for each other. We do that already; I'm just upgrading if you like.” Matt said softly. Jess seemed to give a visual sigh of relief, then they all turned to Becker so that he could continue.

Becker explained the new measures they would be taking, particularly the fact that each of the non-military members of the team would have to be accompanied by a member of Becker's team whilst out in the field. This brought immediate protests from both Abby and Emily and they both turned to Matt angrily.

“You know we're both just as capable as any one of Becker's men!” Abby hissed. “Connor too. We've seen more action than three of them put together!”

“No-one is questioning your capabilities, Abby,” Matt responded. “I just think having some military backup to rely on will free you up to concentrate on dealing with whatever creature comes through the anomaly, or conducting research at the site. You won't have to keep looking over your shoulder because someone will be doing it for you.”

Abby folded her arms across her chest. Connor recognised that look and decided to try and change the direction of the conversation. Just as he was about to speak, the familiar sound of the ADD alarm was heard and everyone sprang to their feet. “Saved by the bell, eh Matt?” Connor whispered as he and Matt walked down the corridor towards the main hub.

“They'll come round,” Matt said, “I think they'll both enjoy being tailed by a hunky soldier.”

“Then you don't know Abby!” Connor laughed. “But I do appreciate what you're doing, even if she doesn't.”

“I worry about Emily too, mate. Ethan's still out there somewhere, and I know Danny is dealing with that but it doesn't stop me wondering if he'll show up and try to do something to her.” The two of them approached Jess's console where Abby, Emily and Becker were already gathered and watching the screen as Jess pinpointed the location of the anomaly. “What have we got, Jess?”

“It's about three miles from here, looks like a non-residential area.”

“Good, lets go.” Matt nodded to Becker and then the rest of the team. They went into auto-pilot; this was now a well rehearsed routine. The black boxes and ear-pieces handed out, EMDs assigned and then they split into two teams. Becker, Connor and a couple of soldiers leapt into the first vehicle and sped off so that they could form the initial response and Connor could lock the anomaly before anything else came through. Abby and Emily joined Matt in the second vehicle. By the time they arrived at the site, Connor and Becker would have fed them their findings and Matt would be making decisions on the next course of action. Connor wondered how much this would all change once Becker's new system was put into place.

“Where is it?” Becker said as they pulled up to where Jess had said the anomaly should be.

“Perhaps it already closed? Jess, what are you getting?” Connor said over the comms.

“You should see it right in front of you, you're practically on top of it!” Jess responded.

Connor looked at Becker; there was nothing, not even a crackle of static in the air that they sometimes felt when an anomaly opened. “Are you sure, Jess? There's nothing here.” Becker called.

Connor looked up into the sky thinking that maybe the anomaly was above them, but all he could see was the late afternoon clouds gathering. Becker and his men started to do a sweep of the area just to be certain, whilst Connor waited for Matt, Abby and Emily. He glanced at the compass he wore on his wrist; it was spinning like crazy just as it did when they were close to an anomaly. He shook his head; this was weird and something wasn't right.

Matt joined him as soon as he arrived with Emily and Abby. He was just as puzzled as Connor. “Invisible anomaly?”

“I hope not!” Connor said. “That would make our job really hard.”

“Maybe its just not strong enough to have materialised properly, but there's enough energy there to set off the detector?” Abby suggested.

“It's possible I suppose,” Connor nodded, his face creasing as he thought about it.

“Emily and I will head off in that direction and do a check of the area. You two go over there. If we don't find anything in ten minutes, we'll head back to the ARC.” Matt indicated where he wanted Abby and Connor to go, then set off after Emily who was already scanning the surroundings with her small EMD poised for action should she need it.

Connor was lost in his own thoughts as he followed Abby. How could the detector be picking up an anomaly and the compass be spinning when they couldn't see it? Maybe Matt was right about an invisible anomaly? What if the huge man-made anomaly had changed the way the natural ones were formed and that was why it had gone so quiet recently? He scratched his head and watched Abby go on a little ahead of him. Her theory about a partially open anomaly could also be right – but did that mean something could still get through? Should they be waiting around just in case it opened fully? So many questions without an answer.

“I don't think we're going to find anything, Connor.” Abby said, turning back to face him. “Maybe its just some atmospheric interference?”

Connor shook his head. “I don't like it, Abby. This could change everything.”

Abby walked back towards him. “Just for once, can we let it go? We're meeting the vicar tomorrow and I want your mind completely in the right place.”

Connor nodded and sighed, reluctantly following Abby back towards the cars where the others were also gathering. “I'm going to get Jess to do a full systems check when we get back, it looks like this was just a glitch and we've been sent on a wild goose chase. I'm sorry guys.” Matt said.

“Apologies are not needed, Matt. I suppose we can look upon it as a test run to keep us on our toes,” Emily said softly.

“Like the fire drills we used to have at school,” Connor grinned. Emily looked puzzled. “I'll explain it later,” he said, climbing into the passenger seat next to Becker. Just as everyone was about to set off, Connor unfastened his seat belt and got out. Despite having Abby's voice in his head telling him to let it go; he couldn't.

“I want to do more checks,” he said. “Set up a couple of black boxes and take some readings. There's something there and I need to know what. You guys go back without me.”

Abby shook her head and got out of the other vehicle. “Sometimes you are just ...” She let out an exasperated sigh then turned to Matt. “I'll stay and help Connor out. We'll call someone when we need a lift back.”

Connor grinned from ear to ear as they watched the rest of the team drive away. He didn't spot the angry glare on Abby's face until she'd given him a shove. “What?” he said, looking hurt. “You didn't have to stay you know!”

“I'm only staying because I know you. You'll be here all night messing about with readings and things if I just left you to it. We're due at the church at 10am and I want us to look normal. You're going to wear a proper shirt and have a shave and...”

“I know, we've been through it a hundred times.” Connor smiled then leaned in and kissed Abby's cheek. “An hour's all I ask. I promise. I just know there's something here!” He moved away and began wandering around looking for suitable places to set up the black boxes to take readings.

Abby watched him with amusement and love. This was her old Connor; the one she'd fallen for without realising. His enthusiasm and passion for what he did was infectious and Abby couldn't think of another person that could have that effect on her. He kept glancing at his compass, then wrinkling his nose as he considered things, and then he'd place a black box on the ground and move on. Within 15 minutes, he'd set down 6 boxes in a circle and then came back over to Abby.

“All done?” Abby asked.

“Half an hour should do it, unless the compass stops spinning. We'll go back to the ARC then.” Connor took his ear-piece out and slid it into his pocket, then he took Abby's out and put that in his pocket too. “Come here,” he whispered, pulling her into a warm kiss.

Abby sighed and returned the kiss, sinking into his embrace. With half an hour to kill, Abby half wondered if they could find a nice cosy little place to snuggle in for a while and was about to suggest it when she heard a loud click. Connor heard it too and they broke off their embrace to look around.

“It sounded like a gun being loaded and unlocked,” Abby whispered. Connor nodded in agreement and motioned for her to follow him. Instinctively, Abby reached for her EMD, but then remembered she'd put it into the back of Matt's vehicle. Connor wasn't armed either and suddenly Abby began to wish that Becker's new security measures were already in place. Right now, she'd give anything to see a friendly soldier with a big gun.

“Put your hands where I can see them and don't make any sudden movements!” A voice hissed from nowhere. They both did as they were told, glancing first at each other and then around them looking for where the voice was coming from.

“Show yourself!” Connor called out. His heart was pounding; fear making his throat feel so tight he could barely breathe. He'd faced carnivorous creatures on a near daily basis during their time in the Cretaceous – those kind of predators he could handle; their behaviour was based purely on a survival instinct but another human? Unpredictable and motivated by a whole variety of things; that unknown element scared him. Maybe he was just wanting money from them or their jewellery? Abby gripped his hand; he wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure him or if she was scared too but he didn't care. She was there with him and that was all that mattered.

“Connor Temple,” the voice hissed out angrily. “Philip Burton's protégé.” The voice sounded like it was amplified, as if it was being fed through some kind of loud speaker or PA system.

Connor squeezed Abby's hand tighter. This wasn't some random person who'd stumbled upon them and seized an opportunity; this was all of Connor's fears coming true. Whoever this person was, they knew him and they knew about Burton. That could only mean one thing.

“I said show yourself!” Connor shouted.

“Are you armed?”

“No, our weapons were in the back of the cars.” Abby replied. She saw movement in the distance and a dark figure was approaching them with a gun raised. Despite his fears, Connor's first thought was to stand in front of Abby. If this was about what he thought it was, then Abby could be the target that gun was aimed at. As the figure got closer, Connor recognised him. He'd worked in Burton's lab at the New Dawn site. He was ashamed to admit that he didn't know his name – Burton had kept Connor away from most of the other scientists on the project apart from April. With hindsight, Connor should have thought that was strange.

“What do you want?” Connor said, puffing out his chest to make himself look as large as possible.

“I want you to suffer.” The man said calmly. “Just like I've suffered. It's all your fault.”

“Connor hasn't done anything, I'm sure we can talk about this,” Abby said lightly, hoping to change the mood. “What's your name? I'm Abby.”

“I know who you are!” The man dismissed Abby with a look of disgust and turned to Connor. “You don't even know who I am though, do you?”

“You worked for Philip,” Connor replied, his voice trembling.

“Yes. Worked. Past tense,” the man spat. “Before you came along, I had a career mapped out for the next 30 years. We were going to be rich; that machine Philip had us all building was going to change our lives – but you destroyed it.”

“You don't understand! That machine would've destroyed the earth; made the atmosphere unbreathable and unable to sustain life. If we...”

“Shut it! You ruined my life... and now I'm going to ruin yours.” The man sniffed and his lip curled into a snarl. He lifted his gun and pointed it at Connor's face. Abby glanced at Connor and nodded at him. They'd faced a similar situation with a raptor, Connor distracted it whilst Abby moved in to kill it. They could do something similar here. If Connor could keep him talking, he might be distracted for a moment long enough to allow Abby to snatch the gun away or aim a kick at him to make him drop it.

“How did you know we'd be here?”

“Oh, I made sure you'd be here.” The man grinned. “I've been working on anomalies as long as you have; studying their behaviour just like you. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist something unusual, so I set up my own device. It generates electro-magnetic fields at the same frequency as the anomalies – strong enough to fool your detector into thinking there's an anomaly there.”

That explains the invisible anomaly, Connor thought. He could see Abby from the corner of his eye and she was edging closer to the man. He had to keep him distracted.

“What would killing me solve, eh?” Connor said.

The man suddenly turned and aimed the gun at Abby's head. She froze. “Oh, killing you would be far too easy, and you wouldn't suffer. No. Killing blondie here would be far more effective!”

It all happened in an instant, yet it felt like an eternity. A single gunshot rang out; Abby screamed and Connor yelled, running full pelt at their assailant's chest and sending him crashing to the ground. His fists began to fly and his eyes stung with angry tears. He hardly dare look at Abby's motionless body and the red blood stain growing larger by the second on her white t-shirt. Somehow, he managed to find his mobile phone in his pocket and dial the first number he came to – Becker's. When he heard Becker's familiar voice the relief flooded over him. The team would come to his aid within minutes.

-o-

The ARC was in near total darkness, save for the glow of the screens on the ADD and a strip of light filtering under the door to Matt's office. Connor knew Matt would still be here writing up his account of what had happened. He paused by the door for a moment, then took a deep breath before entering without knocking. This was going to be the hardest conversation he'd ever had.

Matt looked up from his work. “Hey, Connor. I didn't expect to see you tonight. How's Abby?”

“The doctor's said she'll be fine. She lost a lot of blood, but they patched her up and with plenty of rest she'll be right as rain in a few days.”

“You should be with her. It's been an eventful day.”

“She was sleeping when I left. I figured she needed it.” Connor looked down at his feet and swallowed hard. There was an awkward silence for several long moments before Matt broke it.

“Is there something you wanted, Connor?”

“That thing we talked about a few months ago, after New Dawn. Is it still available?”

“The memory wipe? Yes, it's still available.” Matt straightened up in his chair.

“I want to do it.” Connor sniffed and chewed his bottom lip.

Matt stared wide-eyed at Connor for a moment. “I have to say I'm surprised. You were so against it before.”

“What happened today... Abby almost died because of what I did. As long as I'm around, she'll always be in danger. If its not someone after me because of what I know, then it'll be like today – targeting Abby to get at me. We can't live like that; its not fair on her.” Connor paused to wipe a tear from his cheek. “I want you to erase my memory, Matt.”


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3 One year ago.

Matt had taken Connor to what appeared to be some kind of nursing home. Matt explained that this was where his father had spent the last weeks of his life before he'd died. During that time, Matt had come to trust the staff there and with the assistance of some back-up paperwork he'd brought with him, they allowed him to set up the equipment without any questions being asked. He'd never expected to have to use it though. The room was clinical; much like the hospital room he'd just left Abby in. In the centre of the room was a large, black leather chair like the ones a dentist would use and above it was a machine which Connor supposed was the device that fired the radiation and electrical impulses at the brain. The chair had leather straps where the person's legs, arms and head would be – there would be no escape once he was strapped in; no changing your mind.

“Let's do this,” Connor said. He was anxious to get it done before he changed his mind.

“We have to wait for Doctor Woods to arrive. He's the only other person that knows about this. I can't operate this on my own. The Minister's also on his way; he's making arrangements for the second phase of the treatment which is giving you a new identity.” Matt watched Connor pace around the room. “Are you sure about this? Have you discussed this with Abby? This affects her too.”

“She'd only try to stop me,” Connor said. “It's for her own good; one day she'll realise that she's better off without me. I've written her a letter and left it on the pillow on our bed. She'll think I've got cold feet over the wedding and done a runner. It will be a whole lot easier for her if she hates me.”

Matt sat beside Connor. “You don't have to do this. There are other options. We can protect Abby...”

Connor shook his head. “And spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders and jumping at the slightest noise? We can't live like that.”

“You do remember what I told you before? That this process erases everything in your mind?”

Connor nodded. The door opened and two men appeared. Connor recognised one of them to be the Minister, so he assumed the other man was Doctor Woods. They all acknowledged each other silently then the doctor began to inspect the equipment with Matt. Connor felt sick; this was happening. He tried to switch off from everything and prepare himself, but he could hear the Minister telling Matt that he had arranged a whole new identity for Connor – driving license, credit cards, birth certificate – everything had been thought through in minute detail. That wasn't something that was just thrown together in a few minutes; this had been planned for some time and Connor wasn't sure if that should concern him or make him grateful.

“OK, Connor,” the doctor said. “I'm ready for you.”

Connor let out a long breath and went over to sit on the chair. Matt and Doctor Woods began to fasten the leather straps around his ankles and wrists, testing them to make sure he couldn't move. The Minister hovered around in the background, taking it all in and nodding his approval. They took various measurements and adjusted the head of the device, checking that it was in the correct alignment. Finally, the doctor told Connor to lean back and place his head against the back of the chair. A strap was fastened tightly around his forehead and now Connor couldn't move even if he wanted to. It was important that Connor remained completely still during the procedure; if the gamma radiation beam was even a millimetre out it could cause all sort of problems.

“We all need to move into the observation room up there,” Doctor Woods said, nodding towards a window high up. “I'll activate the machine from there, it'll shield us from the radiation. Are you OK, Connor?”

“I guess so!” Connor responded. He felt tears stinging his eyes but he blinked them away; crying now was pointless.

The Minister and the doctor left the room and Matt paused by the doorway, looking back to where Connor lay. The two men exchanged looks and Connor felt a lump in his throat.

“Matt?”

“What is it?”

“Promise me you'll take care of Abby? I don't want her to come looking for me and I don't want her to spend the rest of her life grieving for me. Maybe in a few months time she'll be able to move on and find someone who isn't going to put her life in danger.”

Matt moved closed to Connor. “I promise that I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she's OK.”

“Thank you,” Connor managed to whisper. “And hey, if things between you and Emily don't work out then you have my permission to make a move on Abby if she's still single.”

Matt let out an embarrassed laugh. “Goodbye, Connor. I hope you have a happy new life.” He left the room, his chest tight and his head spinning.

-o-

From the observation room, the three men could see Connor strapped to the chair. The doctor was going through the start up procedure and the Minister was leaning on the window. Matt watched them both with a growing unease. They were being very clinical and detached about the whole thing, but Matt couldn't detach himself. He'd witnessed a couple of these procedures being performed as part of his training before he came through the anomaly to this time, but this was different. The man strapped to the chair was his colleague and his friend.

“On the count of five, I'll fire up the ray and the procedure will begin,” the doctor said. Then he began to count... “One, two, three, four...”

“Stop!” Matt yelled, pushing the doctor away from the controls. “This is wrong!”

“Mr Anderson! What do you think you're doing?” The Minister said.

“He hasn't thought this through properly! It's just a knee-jerk reaction to what happened earlier. We should make him wait another week, and if he still wants this then we...”

“With respect, Mr Anderson, he's had six months to think about this.”

Matt shook his head. “He's not thinking straight and we need to take some responsibility here and guide him. This is going to change more than just his life.”

The Minister squared up to Matt. “Step aside, Mr Anderson, and let the doctor do his job. Mr Temple has made his decision and we have to respect that.”

Matt turned and ran from the room; his only hope now was that he could get to Connor before the procedure began and try to make him see sense.

-o-

Connor glanced up into the machine above his head. He could hear a slight electrical hum that was gradually getting louder. He assumed that meant they'd switched it on, and in a few moments the burst of radiation and electrical impulses would begin. When he'd thought about this, he'd tried to think about all of the memories that he'd lose. For some reason, he'd decided to try and hang on to just one; a memory so precious he couldn't bare not to have it. As the hum from the machine increased to an almost ear-piercing pitch, he closed his eyes and brought that memory to the very front of his mind. He could see that moment he wanted to hold on to; Abby's sapphire blue eyes sparkling as she looked up at him through her long eyelashes, a look of hope on her face as she said the words that had made him the happiest man alive, “Connor Temple, will you marry me?”

It all went blank. He didn't hear Matt's shouts as he burst through the door; Connor Temple no longer existed, wiped out in an instant and it was too late to stop it.

-o-

Matt had spent the last hour just staring through the window down at the lifeless body of Connor below, still strapped into the chair. He cursed himself for not realising what a mistake Connor was making until it was too late. He should have tried to talk him out of it; that's what a real friend would have done.

“How long do we have to wait for him to come round?” The Minister said.

“It usually takes a couple of hours,” Matt stated coldly. “But I would have expected to have seen some sign of life by now.”

“He is alive,” Doctor Woods said. “Good pulse rate, no sign of distress. The body is an empty shell waiting to be filled with the new memories we have prepared for him.”

Matt banged his fist angrily on the pane of glass; this was his fault. He shouldn't have told them about this procedure in the first place, but after New Dawn they'd insisted on being told everything; no secrets. He wanted to do the right thing; to be accepted in this time and get on with his life. That could only happen if he had the full support of the team and he thought by revealing the technology that he'd brought with him he would get it.

The Minister placed a hand on Matt's shoulder. “You have to remember that this is what he wanted.”

“Is it?” Matt snapped.

“I understand your anger, Mr Anderson, you've just lost a friend and I suppose...”

“It's not just about him!” Matt shrugged the hand away. He had to decide if he could lie to Abby and go along with the story Connor had devised. She was going to be devastated whichever way and he didn't think he could just sit back and watch her tears and distress without telling her the truth. She had, after all, been his closest ally during the Philip Burton thing and he owed it to her. But he also had to respect Connor's wishes too, even if he didn't agree with them. He glanced at his watch; just after 2am. He had a few hours yet; Abby wouldn't start asking questions until mid-morning when Connor hadn't shown up at the hospital to visit her. By then the hypnotherapy should have started and the minister's government cronies would have taken Connor to wherever he was going to live now. At least he could honestly say he didn't know where Connor was; that would be a start.

-o-

Abby blinked away her tears. Right now, she and Connor should be at the church having coffee with the vicar and making definite arrangements for their wedding. She hoped this setback wouldn't have a detrimental effect on their plans – it was important to them that they got married on that date in particular; a year to the day since they'd returned from the Cretaceous. She was tired and in pain; she'd been in surgery for two hours removing the bullet from her shoulder and the painkillers she'd been given were starting to wear off. All she wanted now was a hug from Connor, and a reassurance that he'd spoken to the vicar and it was all going to be OK. Perhaps that was where he was now and the reason he wasn't answering his phone?

A nurse came in to change her dressings and Abby asked her if Connor had called in whilst she was asleep. She was told a young man with an Irish accent had been in to see how she was but didn't stay. Abby sighed; why had Matt been but not Connor?

As the day wore on, Abby grew increasingly concerned. She'd managed to get hold of Jess and asked her to bring her some toiletries and some clothing; she hadn't seen Connor either and she'd just assumed he was at the hospital with Abby. It was only when Jess arrived that things became clearer. Whilst searching their room for the things Abby needed, Jess had found an envelope on the bed addressed to Abby. She handed it to her and Abby felt sick – she recognised Connor's handwriting immediately and began to panic. She tore it open and read the letter with disbelief, then she read it again to be certain she'd read it correctly.

“Jess, you have to help me get dressed and out of here,” she said calmly.

“Is that wise, Abby? The doctors said you need to rest.”

“This is more important. I have to find Connor.” Abby slid herself off the bed and began rummaging through the bag of things Jess had brought.

“Abby! What's wrong?”

“He's left me, Jess.” Abby blinked and bit down on her bottom lip. Jess curled her arms around the older woman's neck and pulled her to her chest. Abby let the floodgates open and began to sob uncontrollably.

-o-

“It just doesn't seem like something Connor would do.” Jess said, thinking out loud. Becker shook his head and Matt swallowed nervously.

“The man's an idiot!” Becker spat. “Spends four years pursuing her before he finally gets her, almost loses her because of the secrets Philip Burton made him keep and now he does a runner because he's got cold feet about marrying her!”

“How is she?” Matt asked quietly. He rubbed his chin; he hadn't slept in almost two days now and he was in dire need of a shave and something decent to eat. It had been an incredibly long day that had gone from bad to worse, and things were only going to get worse before they improved.

“The doctors gave her something to help her sleep,” Jess said. “At least I managed to persuade her to stay at the hospital for tonight. She wants to go and find him though, and there won't be anything I can do or say that will stop her.”

“Wouldn't want to be in Connor's shoes when she does catch up with him!” Becker commented.

“She's wasting her time,” Matt said.

“Do you know something?” Jess turned to him. “Because if you do then you should tell Abby.”

Matt grunted something and left the room, needing to be away and on his own. He could hear Jess calling after him but he ignored her. He really couldn't face questions right now; not when he was still trying to get his head around what had happened.

Right now, Connor's body was on its way to a private hospital. He had to think of it as a body because that's all it was now. In Matt's time, the procedure had been halted and no further research had been done after a series of failures. A couple of deaths had occurred and there were a large number of minds that had been so completely wiped there was nothing left to even begin rebuilding. Those people were left like vegetables; empty shells just breathing and existing but with no memory or personality. The fear was that Connor had just been added to that number.

Almost 24 hours after the procedure had been performed, there was still no response. Doctor Woods had confirmed that the only brain activity he could detect was that which controlled the basic functions of the body – the heart was beating, the lungs were breathing and all the organs were functioning as normal, but that was it. They decided it would be safer to move him to a private hospital where he could be monitored properly until they had decided on the next move. Matt had been sent away, told to keep quiet and respect the wishes of Connor. He'd done as he was told because that's what Matt did, but none of it sat easy with him.

Over the following days, he watched Jess and Emily fuss around Abby when she came back to work. They were doing a great job of maintaining the 'all men are bastards' line and had so far managed to convince Abby that she should let Connor come crawling back to her and beg for forgiveness. It seemed all the fight had left Abby for the moment, and that made things easier for Matt. Once she sorted herself out though and began to ask questions, he would not be able to lie to her for long.

There had been no further news of Connor, which meant either that there had been no change or the Minister had decided to proceed without Matt's input. That bothered him; he needed to know that Connor was being treated well – he at least owed him that.

After making his excuses at the ARC, Matt drove the 20 miles to the hospital he knew Connor had been taken to. The sound of his car tyres on the gravel driveway alerted staff to his presence and he was met at the door. This was the kind of hospital where people came for privacy, and visitors were rare. “Can I help you?” the receptionist said.

“Connor Temple. I'm looking for Connor Temple.”

“I'm afraid we cannot divulge any information about our patients, sir.”

Matt took his wallet out from his pocket and flashed her his government ID. “Connor Temple. He would have been brought in a few days ago.”

The receptionist flicked through her book and then turned to her computer and checked a few screens. “There's no-one of that name here.”

Matt sighed. They were obviously already using his new identity. “Doctor Woods then? Do you have a Doctor Woods here?”

The receptionist shook her head. “I'm sorry. Do you have the right hospital? I've never heard of him.”

“Thank you.” Matt turned away. Now what? His only option was to try and wander around the hospital and check all the patients until he found Connor, but he suspected that might be pushing his luck a little. The receptionist eyed him suspiciously as he tried to decide what to do.

“Mr Anderson, over here.” A familiar voice called from a room just to the left of the reception area. Matt followed the sound and entered, closing the door behind him. It was an office, and the Minister was leaning against the desk.

“Where is he?” Matt demanded.

“Safe. He underwent surgery last night and is now on his way to a hospital in Wales that specialises in brain injuries. It's for the best.”

“Surgery? You altered his looks?”

“No, but we had to make his condition believable. The procedure left him in a vegetative state as you know, if we just left him like that too many questions would be asked. We had a couple of the surgeons here open him up to make it look like he's had major surgery, and whilst he was under we... made it look like his body had been through a car accident.” The Minister shifted uncomfortably.

“What?” Matt couldn't believe what he was hearing. He tried not to think about how they'd made Connor's body appear to have been in a car crash and whether Connor was capable of feeling pain – had they considered that? They seemed to be forgetting he was still a human being.

“It's all part of the cover story, Mr Anderson. Doctor Woods has gone with him and will be setting the foundations for the backstory.”

“And then he's someone else's problem,” Matt spat.

“Precisely. That's what he wanted though. He wanted a new life where his knowledge wouldn't put anyone's life in danger. He's Simon Jones now... a man seriously injured in an accident and has lost his memory. If he wakes up from the coma, they'll look after him and rehabilitate him so he can function in everyday society. If he doesn't wake up, then they'll take the appropriate measures. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr Anderson. I have a lunch appointment that I am already late for.” He opened the door and indicated for Matt to leave ahead of him.

“That's it then? After everything that Connor has done for the ARC, you're just abandoning him?”

“The hospital will receive several very generous donations whilst he remains there, and then money will be provided to ensure he receives the best aftercare.” The Minister gave Matt a look that told him the conversation was over. Apart from throwing some money at the problem to try and make it go away they were effectively drawing a line under it and moving on. To them, Connor Temple was dead. Matt almost wished that was true for Abby's sake; she would at least have closure.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4 – Nine months ago

Abby had just had a feeling that something wasn't right. Connor's disappearance was a complete mystery. Once she'd got past the first days of going from crying, to shouting, to silence, to denial and then back to crying she began to look at things a little more rationally and she didn't like what she was finding.

For a start, as far as she could tell anyway, Connor hadn't taken any clothes with him. She'd also checked his bank account and no withdrawal had been made and his mobile phone hadn't been used since the day he left. With no money or clothes, he wouldn't have got far, and that led Abby to believe that he hadn't actually intended to be away for longer than a day or so. Even if he couldn't face her, surely he would have contacted Jess to arrange collecting his things by now? Something terrible had to have happened to him; that would be the only thing that would keep him away for so long. Maybe he hadn't left voluntarily; forced to write that letter by his abductor so that no-one would come looking for him?

She'd hoped Matt and the others would think the same and help her look for him, but they told her she was clutching at straws. She'd been especially disappointed in Matt; he just kept telling her that she was wasting her time. The police weren't much help either; they said unless there was evidence that he'd been taken against his will there was nothing they could do. The letter indicated he went freely and as an adult he was entitled to come and go as he pleased. She was on her own.

She'd spent several weekends up in Blackburn; driving around in the hope she'd see Connor wandering around near his childhood home. She'd even spent several hours sat outside the nursing home where his mother was just in case he decided to visit her. It was all in vain; no-one had seen him since he'd spent Christmas there and Abby gave up that line of enquiry.

Abby arrived at the ARC just as she had every other Monday morning for the last three months and checked her emails. She longed to see Connor's name pop up in her inbox, but all she had was a memo from Lester, one of those annoying joke chain emails from Jess and some emails from Becker regarding security protocols. She deleted all of them without reading and then logged in to the internet. Connor had taught her well; she knew how to cover her tracks so that Jess wouldn't know what she'd been browsing and she knew how to search and dig deeper than most people. She just wished she'd paid more attention when he was trying to show her how to hack into secure computers – someone had to know something about Connor and it was probably hidden away on some top secret computer.

“Abby, I said can I get you a coffee?” Jess's impatient tone told Abby that she'd been speaking to her for a little while and Abby had not heard.

“Sorry, yes thanks, coffee would be great.”

Jess stared at her flat mate. She was growing increasingly concerned about Abby; it was obvious she wasn't sleeping well from the dark circles under her eyes and she seemed to spend hours in front of the computer. It wasn't healthy. “You should come out with us tonight after work,” Jess said. “Me, Becker, Emily, Matt... we're going to take the new EMD techie out for a drink. He seems nice.”

“I'm sure he is, Jess, thanks for the offer but I'm not really feeling up to socialising.” Abby sighed. She knew Jess meant well, but ever since Sam had arrived at the ARC both she and Emily had tried shoving him and Abby together. That sort of thing just made Abby dig her heels in more. Besides, she was going to find Connor and try to work out with him whatever it was that had made him take flight.

Jess leaned over her shoulder and frowned. “Creature sightings dot com? Abby, I thought you were going to stop all of this? If Connor doesn't want to be found, then he's not going to post on a website he knows you'll be looking for him on.”

“Someone on here might know where he is though,” Abby said, but she was growing less and less convinced. Jess sniffed then moved away to go and make the coffee. A few more determined clicks on her mouse took Abby to another site she'd been watching for a while – a site for friends and relatives of missing persons to post photos of who they were looking for. She'd placed Connor's photo on there several weeks ago, and whilst a number of people had viewed it she'd had no response... until now. Someone had left her a private message, anonymous with just the title “You might be interested in this.”

With her heart pounding hard, Abby clicked on the link. She half expected it to take her to some porn site or something, but the newspaper item that downloaded onto her screen made her leap out of her seat and scream in happiness. “It's him!”

Jess and Matt were at Abby's side in an instant. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she couldn't speak. Jess sat at the desk and read the article out loud. It was about a mysterious young man who had arrived at a hospital in North Wales three months ago. He'd been in a coma and all appeals for relatives or friends had drawn blanks. He'd woken from his coma two days ago and fresh appeals were now being made.

“It's Connor! I know it is! He's been missing for three months and this man....” Abby choked out.

“It certainly looks like him, Abby,” Jess confirmed what Abby thought and looked at Matt hopefully.

“He's called Simon Jones,” Matt said evenly. “They found his driving license on him.”

Jess frowned. “How do you know that without looking at the previous article?”

It suddenly hit Abby and she glared angrily at Matt. “You knew about this didn't you? Why didn't you tell me?”

“It's not Connor.” Matt said firmly. “You have to trust me on this.” He walked away, heading towards his office. This was too close for his liking and if Abby pushed he wasn't sure he could lie to her any more than he already had. As he turned to close his door behind him, Abby was there.

“What makes you so sure it's not him?”

Matt gave in. He couldn't keep this to himself any longer. “You'd better sit down, Abby. This could take a while to explain.”

-o-

Abby sat wide-eyed as Matt unburdened the three months worth of secrets he'd kept to himself. She listened, shaking her head in disbelief when he explained how he, the Minister and Lester had suggested the mind wipe to Connor all those months ago and how he'd refused it, and then how he'd changed his mind after she'd been shot.

“And you let him do it?” Abby said, choking down a sob. “What kind of friend are you?”

“I know, and I've lived with the guilt for the last three months. Every tear you...”

“Don't give me that crap!” Abby spat. “Just tell me the facts.” Abby took a deep breath. Anger was not going to get her anywhere. “Sorry. So, you wiped his memories and turned him into this Simon person?”

“Not quite. That was what we originally intended but the procedure went wrong.”

“Oh, this just gets better!” Abby rolled her eyes. “So you had him beaten up so badly he fell into a convenient coma and it was brushed under the carpet as if nothing had happened?”

Matt shook his head. “No. Patients who have the procedure done are supposed to come round after a couple of hours, then over the course of several hypnotherapy sessions they're fed new memories. Connor never woke up. It was all taken out of my hands then. The Minister decided that the best place for him was in a hospital that specialised in brain injuries.” Matt paused and stroked Abby's hand. “They'll take good care of him, Abby. Now he's woken up, they'll help him get back into society and he'll live a happy life completely oblivious to everything that happened here. You have to let him go now.”

“No!” Abby yelled, pulling away from Matt and storming out of the office. She grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and moved purposely towards the exit. Tears were blinding her eyes and she stumbled through the doorway. Matt grabbed her before she hit the ground and spun her round to face him.

“Where are you going?”

“Where do you think? I need to see Connor.” Abby tried to wriggle away from Matt, but he grabbed her tighter.

“He isn't Connor! It's his body, but the procedure took away everything that made him Connor; the experiences, the memories, his personality. He may as well be dead.”

Abby broke down, her sobs almost choking her. She sank against Matt's chest and allowed his arms to envelope her. Her entire body shook and her knees buckled, unable to support her – if Matt wasn't holding her so tightly she'd have collapsed to the floor. “I need to see for myself,” she whispered.

“OK, you win,” Matt said softly, stroking her hair. “If that's what it takes for you to have closure, then I'll drive you to the hospital. Then you move on with your life – that's what Connor wanted.”

Abby nodded and wiped her face, sniffing. Silently, she followed Matt to his car.

-o-

The four hour journey seemed to last for an eternity. Abby couldn't even bring herself to look at Matt, let alone have a conversation with him. She stared out of the side window, lost in a million thoughts and scared about what she was going to find when they got to this hospital. Matt had given up trying to be sociable about 10 miles outside of London and turned the radio on. Neither spoke until they were approaching some services on the M40 just outside Warwick. “I need some coffee,” Matt said. “Is it OK if we stop?”

“Whatever,” Abby sighed. All she wanted was to get to this hospital. Part of her was convinced that once Connor saw her he would remember everything and they could get on with the rest of their lives; but the other part of her knew that what Matt had said was true and she was going to have to accept that he was gone. Matt parked close to the entrance to the café and Abby followed him inside. After ordering their drinks, Abby debated whether she should sit with Matt or not. Since he'd paid for her coffee, she supposed she should.

“I guess this is pretty difficult to get your head around?” Matt finally said.

“I'm just trying to understand why he did it.”

“He did it for you, Abby. He thought he was protecting you.”

Abby closed her eyes; of course that's why he did it; everything Connor did was for her. Why couldn't he have just done things with her? She felt Matt's hand on hers and was torn; she wanted to be angry with him for his part in this and to push him away, but she needed someone to lean on right now and Matt was all she had. She allowed his hand to stay, opened her eyes and acknowledged him with a tiny smile.

“We should make a move; there's still another couple of hours of driving ahead of us.” Matt said, draining the last dregs of his coffee. He stretched, picked up his car keys and said he'd meet Abby at the car after he'd been to the bathroom. Abby watched him go, relieved to have a few moments to herself. She had to start preparing herself to see the man she loved who wasn't himself any more.

-o-

He'd been moved from the high dependency unit to a private ward, but the prodding and the poking continued. Simon was growing tired of all the attention and he wished they'd stop asking him stupid questions. He didn't know who he was – they had told him. Hell, he couldn't even remember what he'd had for breakfast this morning, let alone what he was doing six months ago. They called it “Post-traumatic Amnesia” and apparently it was “probably temporary”. All he knew was; his head hurt and he didn't have a clue what the doctors or nurses were asking him.

The occupational therapist had suggested he did something to force his thought processes to work again. They tried to get him to draw or do jigsaw puzzles but he lost interest very quickly; then he discovered the playroom next to the children's ward. They had lego; several sets with instructions on how to build cars and machines from the tiny plastic bricks. Simon found himself enjoying it; somehow he felt that making things was what he did. The therapist was pleased and asked the nurses to try and find more kits for him – He said that the processes involved in translating a two dimensional picture into a three dimensional model might be beneficial and help him rediscover his spatial awareness and improve his concentration. Maybe it would fire up some connection in his brain again too.

“You have some visitors, Simon,” the nurse with the long dark hair said. He rolled his eyes and pouted. “Don't be like that! These people think they might be able to help you.”

“That's what they all say, but I'm still no closer to finding out who I am.” Two people entered the room, a man and a woman. He nodded at them, then turned back to building his car.

The nurse said she'd leave them to it, and reminded Simon he could use the buzzer if he needed anything. The man and the woman thanked her and then moved closer towards Simon's bed. “Are you doctors?” he asked.

“No, we're from the government. We're looking into your case and trying to determine who you are,” the man said. He introduced himself simply as Matt. The woman didn't speak, she just sat there seemingly on the verge of tears whilst Matt asked him all sorts of questions.

-o-

Abby watched Connor the whole time he was speaking to Matt. She wanted to just reach out and hug him, and then punch him and scream at him for hurting her so much. But the more she watched, the harder it became. The man in the bed wasn't her Connor – he looked like him and sounded like him, but there was no spark there. She tried to make eye contact with him, but he seemed to struggle to look anywhere other than the half-finished model on the table.

Matt was showing him some photos and asking if he knew any of the people in them. Most were random strangers but amongst them were photos of Becker, Philip Burton, his friend Duncan and Helen Cutter. Each was met with the same blank look; not even the slightest flicker of recognition. It was taking every ounce of strength Abby had to not cry. After half an hour, she couldn't stand it any longer and she grabbed Connor's face.

“Look at me!” she yelled. “Who am I?”

Connor looked hard at her, wrinkling his forehead as he tried to think. “I'm sorry, I really don't know. I wish I did; you're pretty and you have nice eyes but...” His head hurt and something flashed inside his head for the briefest of moments.

“You're tired, we should let you get some rest. Thank you for seeing us,” Matt said, placing his hand on Abby's elbow to guide her out of the room. “I hope you feel better soon. If there's anything we can do or something comes to you, the doctors will have my details.”

Just as Abby and Matt were about to leave the room, Connor spoke. His forehead was wrinkled in thought again. “Actually, there is something. Before my accident, I think I was getting married.”

Abby's mouth fell open. “Yes, yes... you were!” This was something; there was a tiny piece of Connor still there and that had to be a good thing. She felt Matt tugging at her arm but she shrugged him away. “Think! There must be something else you can remember?”

“I'm sorry, I just...” He blinked his eyes and a single tear rolled down his cheek. “I just want to be normal!”

Abby ran back to the bed and flung her arms around him. His sobs cut straight through her heart and she wanted to make him better again. Connor was still there; she knew it, and somehow she would bring him back. Choking back her own sobs, she rocked him against her chest and stroked his hair. He smelt like her Connor; he felt warm and soft like her Connor; and when he responded by wrapping his arms around her she believed it was her Connor.

After a few long moments, Matt coughed and cleared his throat. “Abby, we have to go.”

Reluctantly, Abby pulled herself away from Connor. “I'll come back and see you again, I promise,” she said softly, kissing his cheek.

“I'd like that,” Connor replied. “You're not like the others here. You're the only person that's hugged me since I've been here.”

“I'll see you soon,” Abby smiled, finally allowing Matt to lead her out of the room.

-o-

Abby and Matt made their way to where they had parked the car. Abby's head was spinning and she had made a huge decision during the time it had taken to get from Connor's room to here. “I'm staying, Matt.”

“What?”

“I'm not coming back with you. I'm going to find a bed and breakfast close by for a few weeks and come and visit him.”

“Abby, you saw him. He doesn't know you, he isn't Connor any more. You have to let him go now!”

Abby shook her head. “He remembered about getting married, I refuse to give up on him. I can help bring his memories back if I spend enough time with him.”

Matt took hold of both Abby's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. “The procedure is irreversible. That marriage thing is part of the whole back story they've started to feed into him – they told him that his girlfriend had been killed in the car accident.” Abby blinked at him angrily. “Let it go, Abby!”

“I suggest you listen to your friend, Miss Maitland.” The Minister appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Really? Why should I?” Abby hissed, folding her arms across her chest defiantly.

“You're heading for a huge fall and nothing but heartache if you continue thinking that he's still Connor. He said he didn't want you to grieve for him; if you won't listen to me then at least listen to what he wanted.” Matt said.

“How about what I want? No-one seems to care about what I want!”

The Minister moved closer to Abby. “If you step foot inside this hospital again, I'll have you arrested. We've been watching you ever since this began and we knew sooner or later Mr Anderson would give in and tell you what happened. We'll continue to watch you and life could become very difficult for you.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I don't make threats, Miss Maitland, just promises. Good day to you.” He walked away, leaving Abby staring after him in disbelief.

Matt got into the car. “Are you coming with me?”

Abby shook her head. “I'm staying. They may be able to stop me from going into the hospital, but I can still keep an eye on him and follow his progress. One day, he'll be ready to listen and take it all in, and then I can tell him what they did to him; what you did to him.... and then I can work on getting my Connor back.”

Matt drove away after wishing her well. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop her; even if he'd persuaded her to come home with him now she'd be back here within hours. The only way she was going to be convinced that Connor was gone now was to see it for herself, and it could take months before it finally registered. His heart was breaking for her and all he could do was watch and wait, then be there for her to help pick up the pieces.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5 – Present day

'Simon' leaned back in his chair and looked straight at the blonde haired girl that had been talking pretty much non-stop for almost two hours. The Barista came over and refilled their cups for the third time, glaring at them. He thought that maybe they were pushing the 'free refills” thing a bit far and wondered if he should suggest going somewhere else – but that was too scary a thought. Outside of work, the coffee shop was the only place he went to. New places were just far too daunting.

He wanted to believe Abby; it would make sense of some of the things he'd been experiencing since leaving hospital, but he'd also been warned that there would be people who would try to take advantage of his vulnerable state. He didn't want to be fooled into something simply because he thought she had nice eyes and a pretty face.

“Why tell me all of this now? Why didn't you tell me when you and this Matt visited me nine months ago?”

“I wanted to, but back then you were struggling to get through the basic tasks in life. You couldn't have coped with all this too. I stayed nearby so that I could wait for you to be well enough to take it in, but that took longer than I anticipated.” Abby sighed. She'd hoped it would only take a few weeks, so she'd taken 'compassionate leave' from the ARC and booked herself into a bed and breakfast that was a short drive from the hospital. The Minister had briefed all of the hospital staff that Abby and Matt were not permitted to even be in the grounds; a fact Abby discovered when she tried to get in to see 'Simon'. After three attempts, the hospital had her physically removed by security and threatened to call the police if she tried to gain entry again. She had to give in; she would not be able to help him from a prison cell.

After that, she realised that she was going to have to make her living arrangements a little more long term – She rented a small bedsit and managed to get herself a job at Chester zoo which was about half an hour drive away. She tried to quit her position at the ARC but Lester wouldn't accept her resignation and told her to take as long as she needed. Deep down, Abby knew she would always go back there, even if she was angry with the likes of Matt and the Minister for what had been done to Connor. She'd deal with that issue later; right now her focus was on Connor and getting him back.

“How do I know you're not just one of those people that try to get people like me to make insurance claims and then take loads of money from them?”

Abby smiled to herself; paranoia was one of Connor's more annoying traits but she was relieved it was showing itself now. “I guess you just have to go with what your heart tells you on that one,” she said softly. She moved her hand over his to stroke it; he looked at it questioningly, then tentatively touched the single diamond on the ring she wore.

“Did I get you that?”

“Yes. I would've just settled for your mum's ring that you wore around your neck, but you insisted on getting me a proper engagement ring.” She reached inside the neck of her t-shirt and pulled out the gold band on a leather cord. “I've had it since the day I proposed to you. We were going to get it altered to fit me properly so that I could have it as my wedding ring when we...” She swallowed back the lump in her throat – she and Connor should have been married for six months by now.

“I wish I could remember,” he said sadly.

“You will, one day. You've already made so much progress. The visions in the dreams you keep having, the moments where you know your name is Connor... They're all memories of your life and they're coming back to you slowly.”

“They made me think I was crazy. They made me take pills, lots of pills!” He slammed his fist down angrily on the table.

“I know. I've been watching you and I wanted to intervene so much, but each time I tried they set back your progress with more therapy and medication to make you think you were Simon Jones.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Abby could see the Barista looking at them again. “Perhaps we should go somewhere else?” She stood up and put her jacket on, but Connor hesitated. He looked up at her, and she could see he was scared.

“It's OK. Maybe I've told you too much? There's a lot to get your head around.” She sat down again and took his hand. “We can chat again tomorrow if you like? Give you chance to think about what I've told you, and you can ask questions.”

Connor nodded. “I'd like that, same time?”

“I'll look forward to it,” Abby smiled and rose slowly. Leaving him was so hard, especially as there were more than just tiny glimmers of hope that her Connor was still there – but she'd waited nine months already; a few more days wouldn't make that much difference and he had to be ready to accept the truth. It wouldn't be long before she'd have him back where he truly belonged.

-o-

Connor stared at his reflection just as he had done hours earlier. This morning he was Simon Jones, the weirdo that no-one spoke to because he didn't have a past to mould his personality. Now he was someone with a whole history and a cool job that many would be envious of. For the first time since he'd left hospital, he felt alive and positive. Then it hit him; if he was such a great person, with a cool job and a gorgeous fiancée, why had he agreed to wipe his memory? Abby had been very matter of fact about it, and he understood why wiping New Dawn from his head was important, but to go to such an extreme? Perhaps Abby was spinning an elaborate story to pull him in; ready to chew him up and spit him out when she'd got what she wanted from him?

Something else bothered him too; Abby had said that the mind wipe was permanent – so why was he supposedly getting his memory back? Was that part of the manipulation too? He couldn't remember when he'd started seeing the blonde girl in his dreams; was it after he'd noticed Abby in the coffee shop for the first time or before? He'd had to put his trust in so many people but now he didn't know who to believe.

He placed his hand on his chest; he'd always felt like he was missing something and now he knew what it was – the ring that Abby had been wearing around her neck. He could see that gold band now, and he heard her voice, “Connor Temple, will you marry me?” He remembered pulling the cord over his head and hastily slipping the ring on her finger before Becker and Jess arrived – wait! He remembered! Becker and Jess were pushing someone in a wheelchair... a man... their boss?. Connor grinned at his reflection; a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He knew Abby was the one he should believe, not those doctors. He was... he took a deep breath. “I'm Connor Temple!”

-o-

Over the next few weeks, Abby and Connor met almost every day at the coffee shop. Some days, Connor would just let Abby talk; other days he'd ask questions. She tried to be as honest as possible with him, even if some of the things she had to tell him were unpleasant. Their shared experiences were what made them a strong couple, and he needed to know everything if things were going to be the same. She cringed when he asked how long they'd been together; it was almost like being back in the Cretaceous – baring her soul and admitting that she'd treated him badly. He simply nodded and held her hand, just as he had done back then and that brought a tear to her eye.

After a couple of weeks, Abby managed to persuade him to go somewhere else where they could chat a little more privately and let out a few emotions. They spent a whole day in the park, talking about the early days of the ARC; they'd cried together as they talked about Stephen and Cutter and laughed at how they'd managed to keep Rex a secret. They held hands, leaned on each other and occasionally exchanged a tender kiss. Abby had to keep reminding herself not to get too carried away; this was all still new for Connor and he was still delicate. He hadn't yet asked about the details around New Dawn either and Abby was deliberately avoiding it.

“Abby,” Connor said after a quiet few minutes when he'd obviously been thinking about something. “I think I'm ready to go home.” He chewed his bottom lip nervously.

“Home? As in back to London?”

Connor nodded. “You've filled in so many gaps, and some things are coming back to me of their own accord; I just think that the only way I'll get completely better is to be back at the ARC and back at Jess's flat.”

“OK. If you're sure.” Abby wasn't sure if she was ready for this. It had been nine months since she'd been there herself and she had unresolved issues of her own – Matt for example; he'd done too little too late to stop Connor doing this in her opinion, and the fact he'd sat back and watched her search desperately for him when he knew where he was all along angered her. She had trusted him; put her relationship with Connor on the line for him over the Philip Burton business; and this was how he repaid that trust. The Minister too; he should have been looking out for Connor but all he was interested in was making sure that there was no repeat of New Dawn. It was as if they'd forgotten that human beings with feelings were caught up in this. “I'll call Jess tonight to make sure our room is still free. We can move back there at the weekend, and then go to the ARC on Monday.”

Connor curled his fingers into Abby's and swallowed nervously; looking straight ahead at nothing in particular and lost in his thoughts. Abby squeezed his hand reassuringly and stared ahead too. This was the final step in getting Connor back and getting their relationship back on track, but it could go horribly wrong too. She shook her head and tried to push her negativity to the back of her mind.

-o-

The sound of Connor's laughter was like music to Abby's ears. From her desk she couldn't actually see him, but she could certainly hear him and she couldn't help smiling. Jess was helping him get re-acquainted with the ARC's computer systems, and every now and then his laughter would be punctuated by a girly giggle from Jess.

Abby had never really found that she had much in common with Jess, but she couldn't fault her warmth and generosity. Yet again, she'd allowed Connor and Abby to live in her spare room; no questions asked. She'd even made herself scarce all weekend to allow them space to settle back in – something she hadn't done the first time around and it had caused a little tension.

“It's good to see you back, Abby.” Matt was leaning against the open doorway. Abby just grunted a 'thank you' and turned to her computer. “Connor too; back where he belongs.”

“No thanks to you!” Abby spat back.

Matt walked further into the room, closing the door behind him. He nodded at the spare chair and Abby indicated for him to sit down. “I understand your anger; and you have every right to feel like that. But I can't change what I did, and ever since I've tried to put it right.”

Abby sighed. “I'm not the sort of person to hold grudges; life's too short and too precious to waste it on negative thoughts. I have Connor back and he's slowly getting better; that's all I care about right now.”

Matt smiled. “How much does he remember? Is everything OK with you two?”

Abby felt herself blush as she thought about their weekend; their first one together as a proper couple again. “We're getting there,” she said. “He remembers a lot; some of it I've had to fill in for him.”

“New Dawn?”

“Only the facts that I've told him. I'm scared what will happen when he starts remembering the full details and when he realises the exact reasons he did this mind wipe in the first place.” Abby paused and took a deep breath. “I'm afraid I'll lose him again.”

Matt placed his hand on Abby's shoulder. “We'll all be here for him when or if he does remember it. Let's think of it as a second chance to do it right this time.” He stood up to leave.

“Matt, there's something I don't understand. You said the mind wipe was permanent; so why has Connor been able to remember things?”

Matt sat down again and looked thoughtful. “I don't know. The research on the procedure was stopped so the long term effects were never really studied properly. I can only guess that in the case of those it worked for they wanted to wipe their minds completely. Perhaps Connor didn't want to forget deep down, and he clung onto a tiny thread that was just enough to bring him back.”

“Getting married,” Abby smiled. “That first time we saw him in the hospital; he said he remembered that he was getting married.”

Matt laughed. “You could be right. The scientists of my time would have a field day with that!” He exchanged a look with Abby and saw a sparkle in her eyes that had been missing for a long time. Connor wasn't the only one that was getting back to their old self. He stood up to leave again, and then remembered the reason he'd actually come to see her.

“The Minister is hosting a lunch today; attended by lots of influential government types all vying for new positions. I have a plan to make sure he gets what he deserves; something I saw on a TV show a little while ago. Come with me.”

“I want to see that man suffer as much as I have,” Abby said. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. You being there will make him squirm enough, and then I'll deal the final blow.”

Abby was intrigued and couldn't wait for lunchtime to arrive.

-o-

The Minister did an almost visible double take when he saw Abby arrive with Matt. She nodded a 'hello' and strolled nonchalantly over to the buffet table. Inside, her heart was pounding and adrenaline was coursing through her entire body – she wanted to punch that man's lights out; the mere sight of him made her feel sick, but Matt had reminded her that violence would just get her arrested and earn him even more sympathy.

“Miss Maitland, I didn't expect to see you. I trust you are well?” The Minister said. He then turned to his colleague. “Miss Maitland is one of the field agents on that special project I was telling you about.”

The man held out his hand for Abby to shake and introduced himself as Sir Peterson. She shook it politely then turned to the Minister. “I'm very well thank you. Connor and I both came back to work today. He's doing great now that he has his memory back.”

“Connor's back?” The Minister looked awkward.

“Yes,” Matt joined the group. “Good news eh? After you authorised the procedure to wipe his memories and then leave him in a coma we'd all but given up hope on him.”

“You authorised this?” Peterson said, his face creased in a frown. “The Simon Jones incident was yours?”

“It was for his own good!” The Minister snapped. “Imagine if another Philip Burton character got hold of Temple; we cannot afford a repeat of what happened.”

“Wasn't your wisest of moves was it?” Matt said. “Still, it's all turned out OK. He's pretty much back to normal now thanks to Abby's patience and love.”

“Well, wish him well from me, Mr Anderson.... Miss Maitland.” The Minister walked away. Matt, Abby and Sir Peterson watched him for a few moments, shaking their heads.

“He's made a few bad judgement calls of late,” Matt said. “Shame really.”

“Oh?” Sir Peterson said.

Matt leaned in closer, placed his hand on the older gentleman's shoulder and lowered his voice. “In fact, don't you think he looks tired?” Sir Peterson looked questioningly at Matt and then realised what he was suggesting. He nodded and a small smile traced across his thin lips. Matt knew his work was done; he'd sewn a seed and he guessed that within a month the Minister would be either on “sick leave” or forced into early retirement.

“We should head back to the ARC,” Matt said to Abby. “Connor will probably need rescuing from Jess before too long; let's hope she hasn't convinced him that chocolate with orange in is weird yet.”

Abby laughed and followed Matt out of the room. She dreaded to think what Jess and Connor would be capable of together, but right now she was just relieved that finally everything was getting back to the way it should be.


End file.
